


I Choose You

by giftedjaeyun



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Amnesia, Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:02:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29812977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giftedjaeyun/pseuds/giftedjaeyun
Summary: It didn’t matter how many notes he wrote. It didn’t matter that he took an effort to make everything in their home as familiar as possible. He already knew the answer all too well, but that doesn’t mean he was ever prepared for it.Still, his love for him remained the same.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	I Choose You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KkamiKnows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KkamiKnows/gifts).



> Title from Araw-Araw by Ben&Ben

“Who are you?!”

_Ah_ , there he goes. Through and through, Hyunjin knows he should be used to it by now. But no matter how hard he tries, it never fails to hurt him like it was the first time.

He sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes off the sleep, having been woken up abruptly. He approached the boy at the corner of the room, noting how his frail figure trembled as he held his blanket like a shield from the unfamiliar face. Hyunjin sighed. 

“Don't be scared. Your name is Jeongin, you are twenty years old.” He extended an open hand towards the other, continuing to explain. “I am Hyunjin. I am your boyfriend and we live together.”

The boy, Jeongin, tilted his head. He pointed a shaky but accusing finger at him. “You are my boyfriend?” he asked. Hyunjin nodded, smiling. 

“Yes, darling. Since two years ago.” 

“But I… I don't even know you.”

Already knowing what to do after countless times, Hyunjin pulled out his phone, immediately scrolling through his photo gallery. Upon finding the album he was looking for, he brought it towards the younger to let him scroll through it himself. Surely enough, just minutes after, his eyes widened in realization.

“You really are my boyfriend,” Jeongin smiled sheepishly. He handed the phone back with one hand, the other scratching his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry, I forgot…”

“It’s fine.” Hyunjin leaned over to brush a hand through his hair, finally confident enough that he won’t scare him anymore. “I understand.”

“Why did I forget? What’s wrong with me?” Jeongin curiously watched as Hyunjin held him up by the elbow before gently dragging him somewhere. 

“Nothing’s wrong with you, baby.” Hyunjin smiled. He took him to their dining room beside the kitchen and sat him down. He left him there while still making sure that the younger could clearly see where he was. He then proceeded to make them a simple breakfast; at the corner of his sight, he could see Jeongin straining his neck so he could see what he was making. 

He managed to whip up some pancakes, no biggie. He set them in front of Jeongin, giggling when he saw him unconsciously smacking his lips.

In the course of their meal, Hyunjin filled him in with other information he needed. Jeongin gasped at some of them, and while Hyunjin found it cute, he couldn’t find it in himself to smile anymore.

It had already happened too many times before.

Their day went on like any other, consisting mostly of Jeongin trying to recollect his memories with Hyunjin’s help. Despite the dread gnawing at his chest for what’s to come tomorrow, Hyunjin did his best to help him remember everything. By the end of the day, they lied back down on the bed together once again.

“Will you help me remember everything again tomorrow?” Jeongin asked. Hyunjin placed a soft peck on top of his head and wrapped his arms around him. With a heavy heart, he replied.

“Of course.”

.

“Who are you?” 

Even without opening his eyes yet, Hyunjin could recognize the painfully familiar voice saying those painfully familiar words. He sat up on the bed and stretched for a while. When he finally opened his eyes, he was met with Jeongin’s adorable fox-like smile directed to him. He had his light-colored blanket wrapped around him. _Looking like this, he might as well be an angel_ , Hyunjin thought. Then again, for him, Jeongin was a literal angel on earth, so who was he to complain?

Remembering that he was supposed to give him an answer, he sat up properly, stiffly uttering his practiced script.

“I am Hyunjin. I am your boyfriend and we live together.” At his answer, Jeongin cheerfully pumped his fists in the air. 

“For real? You’re not kidding?” He waited. When Hyunjin nodded at him, smiling, he giggled to himself in satisfaction.

“My boyfriend is so handsome~”

As he watched Jeongin sing-song his way into the bathroom, Hyunjin could only chuckle to himself. He ignored the dull throb in his heart and went to accompany his boyfriend, even if the latter insisted he could brush his teeth himself.

It was an on the spur of the moment decision, really, but they went to the amusement park that day. With every ride and attraction they went to, Hyunjin could almost convince himself that everything that had happened was just a dream—that they were the same as they were before, that no accident ever came.

But as they called it a day and went back home, something akin to anxiety settled in his chest. Would Jeongin forget again? Would he have to explain everything again? 

It didn’t matter how many notes he wrote. It didn’t matter that he took an effort to make everything in their home as familiar as possible. He already knew the answer all too well, but that doesn’t mean he was ever prepared for it. 

Still, his love for him remained the same.

.

“Jinnie?” Jeongin called out. He looked at Hyunjin from his position on his chest, tearing his sight away from the movie they were watching. He grabbed a fistful of the popcorn beside them and ate them piece by piece.

“Yes, love?” Hyunjin looked back at him, opening his mouth when Jeongin reached up to give him a popcorn kernel. 

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. What is it?”

  
  
“You..." Jeongin trailed off, hesitant. "Why do you– Why do you stay?”

Hyunjin tilted his head. “Stay?”

“Yeah. You know I’m going to forget everything tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. But why do you still put up with me?”

  
  
This time, Hyunjin fully faced him. He put a hand under Jeongin’s jaw, gently caressing it like a bubble about to vanish into thin air. In that sense, perhaps he was right.

“Because I love you.”

“But–” Jeongin tore Hyunjin’s hand away from his face so he could interlace his fingers with it. “You don’t deserve to be with someone like me.”

“Why not? Don’t you want me anymore?”

“It’s not like that…” Jeongin completely pulled his hand away in order to wipe at the tears building up in his eyes. “I’m stuck like this. You deserve someone who can take care of you. That isn’t me.”

“Then I will take care of you instead.” Hyunjin smiled. Even an outsider could judge how tired he was from the bags in his eyes, which was probably the reason why Jeongin wasn’t having it.

“You don’t understand. You’re sweet, you’re kind, anyone would want to have you. You’re better off with someone else who will remember them everyday.”

Hyunjin shook his head. He engulfed Jeongin in an embrace then went to kiss his eyelids. He took Jeongin’s hands and kissed them too.

“Do you want to have me then?” 

“I– of course! Who wouldn’t?” Jeongin answered automatically, making Hyunjin chuckle. He brought him closer to himself, as though doing so can prevent him from forgetting everything tomorrow.

“Then I choose you. I’ll stay with you forever”

“But–”

“Shh.” Hyunjin brought a finger to his lips. 

“If you forget, I’ll help you remember.” He smiled. “It hurts that you forget me, but it will hurt me more when I’m not with you. I don’t think I can live with that.”

From his place on Hyunjin’s lap, Jeongin leaned forward to wound his arms around the taller’s neck. He buried his face on Hyunjin’s shoulder, where the soft fabric of his sweater absorbed his tears.

“I love you,” he whispered. If it was even possible, he felt Hyunjin hug him tighter, his palm softly stroking small circles on his back. The older leaned in to whisper something, and Jeongin swore that one of these days, he would cry because of it, even if he wouldn’t remember it exactly as it is.

“I love you too. And only you, every day of my life.”

**Author's Note:**

> @ recipient: pibertdey! :))


End file.
